From one oyster country to another

My home country, Ireland, has a long history of oyster consumption. Oyster consumption in Ireland is a long-standing tradition, dating back over 4,000 years, and Ireland is also a major producer and exporter of oysters. Japan also has a long history of oyster consumption and production. And is one of the leading producers of oysters in the whole world. 

Ireland gets relatively few tourists from Japan. Those that come tend to have a keen interest in an aspect of Irish culture. One example of that is oyster lovers! Japanese people specifically travel to Ireland for is the oyster festivals! In particular the Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival which attracts Japanese tourists annually and even had Japanese restaurants participate in the past and dedicated Japanese oyster food stalls too. The festival often features on Japanese television programs and there has even been a Japanese TV documentary about it.  

I eat oysters in both countries. I am biased in that I think Irish oysters are more delicious than Japanese oysters! In Ireland we tend to eat mainly raw oysters, but in Japan they eat them both raw or cooked. It took me a while to get into deep fried oysters in Japan! I prefer raw over cooked. I also love a glass of Guinness with my oysters, they go really well together and some Japanese restaurants have clued into this. The feature photo was taken in Japan, not Ireland! 

Do you like oysters? Do they eat them in your home country too?